Happy Birthday calls are not only more personal than the current day MO of texting or even worse, posting a birthday greeting. It’s more than just a call, it signifies the person took time to do wish another health, wealth, and all blessings a simple “happy birthday” implies. Thank you for that stat.

These are great findings. It seems that the majority of it comes down to mindset. Poor people think differently than wealthy people. And if that is the case, it seems the best solution for poverty is to help poor people think differently.

Thanks for commenting. Yes it seams that the main differences are in the mind. As the famous quote by Charlie Tremendous Jones says, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I believe this is because these two factors have a way of “changing our thinking.”

I loved this article. I don’t consider myself to be rich or poor, but I agree that it is our actions that dictate much of how we live and how much money we can potentially EARN. I am a single parent with two children, and while it is difficult; I do wake up very early in the morning, I read a lot; and encourage my children to read as well. I know from experience that the ability to read and interpret what you have read is key to being successful in anything you do. Not to mention, you can learn new things.

I did not always have some of these habits. They have developed over many years after taking the time to look at my situation and determine where I wanted to be. And where I want to be is not rich, nor poor, but somewhere in between. Comfortable.

Thank you for the book. There are a lot of truths in it – and I was thrilled to recognize that someone actually did a study on these things.

Mary is absolutely right. Which is more likely; people are rich because they eat less junk food, or people who have less money are forced to eat more junk food?

People who exercise earn more money, or people who earn more money have more time to exercise (and can pay the gym fees)?

Do wealthy families make their kids volunteer while poor families do not? Or is it more that poor families don’t make their children volunteer 10 hours a week because they’re already making them work a job for 10 hours a week (which cuts into homework and reading time).

If you want to look at whether being wealthy is a result of habits or is inherited, look at the social mobility of the country, there’s your answer. (hint, in north America social mobility is very low).

I find it better use of time to help YOU think differently. Is this list bashing on the poor…yes. it definitely seems like it. I’m sorry Deacon that you probably have never lived a day in a “poor” man’s shoe.in that case you do not actually know how they think. I do believe they think just fine, thank you. Why don’t you use you leisure time to help poor starving kids.

Thanks for reading. I’m sorry for such a long response but I felt that it was deserving. First off let me just say that I understand where you’re coming from but I have to disagree with you in the interpretation of this study. I don’t believe the study itself to reflect an attitude of superiority at all. (Although some that would be classified as “rich” may come across that way). I think the key word here being “some”. Remember this was just the reporting of a study done between the daily habits of the “rich” vs. the “poor” and like all results of a study there are exceptions. For instance 81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list – but that means 19% do not.

Yes, I do believe that some people’s lives “set them up for success” but I don’t believe that to be the norm. I would say that is the exception. And even if they are setup for success that still doesn’t guarantee them the success. It still has to be earned one way or another. It sounds like you have had a good deal of success in your life and I’m sure it is safe to say that you earned it.

That’s what I think is so inspiring about this study. The fact that even those who were not setup for success can still achieve the same levels of success as those who were. The American Dream so to speak. What does someone do who wants to get in shape? They model their daily habits after someone who is already in great shape. This should give them the best chance for success right? Will they have the exact same results? Of course not, there will always be unique factors involved. It should however, give them the best chances for success.

In the end I think it’s important to view this study as exactly that…a study. One that simply reported the statistical facts. What is learned, gained or perceived from this study will be entirely up to each individual.

Thank you Joseph for your reply, and yes I understand this study is simply a compilation of facts which I do not disagree with. Its just I am so tired of my conservative fellows lack of compassion for those who have not. To simply state the differences of habits of the wealthy and the poor is like a study that says people with chronic headaches tend to take more aspirin. or heavy people tend to drink more diet soda (no joke, they are heavy, why would a skinny person need to drink diet soda) any way, It goes back to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The habits that are different tend to do with basic fundamental needs that have not been met yet vs. things on the hierarchy scale that people never get to until the baser needs are met. You don’t worry about your aerobic exercise when your baser needs of food and shelter are not secure. You don’t read to enhance your employment status when you’re worried about paying the rent. These good habits tend to come after the basic needs are met. I don’t disagree with any thing you said, I just sense a huge lack of compassion for just pointing out the obvious differences in habits reflected by those with ample means and those struggling day to day. forgive me but I feel I am butting my head up against a wall, I am not sure why I chose this venue to vent , I guess I am part of that mere 6% that says what is on their mind

Haha no worries Jean. I guess the real question with this study then becomes which came first the chicken or the egg? Do these “rich” have these habits because they are rich and now have the means / time or … did they become rich because of their daily habits. From the information published about this study I am not able to tell. My interpretation of the study was the latter, but it sounds like yours was the former. I would be curious to see if the study dove deeper into the habits to answer some of these questions. I guess we’ll have to read the book to find out

Jean I am glad that I share many of the same ideas as you. Poor people may be poor because they gamble and do bad stuff, but many are immigrant, those who can’t speak English and relying on low paying jobs that takes all day. Both my parents start at 6 and end at 12 leaving no time to read to children, do cardio, make phone calls, waking up late because they are just tired and could hardly move from their all year job, in fact don’t even have time to do anything. I as a child with three other siblings understood our parents and lived in a house with three meals a day, but we couldn’t receive the extra care that is listed above. Yes Joseph I agree how some wealthy strived hard to achieve their goals, but I would like to send my opinions as well.
No hard Feelings
John

the points are good,for ex. ,the matter is not that a poor does have time or money to go to gym for exercising or can make or cannot make his/her children volunteer.but you you should understand that a volunteer work, without pressure and can judge his faults and rectify them, its like an opportunity to find and enhance your interest and capabilities. Same this like going to gym,etc , exercising makes a man persistence,hard worker and competitive – the best competition is with yourself.
so, again good points or research, and gain and loss should be calculated in-spite of cause and effect in such research.

I think that I am part of the poor people in term of money because my husband and I are making less than $ 30k but I decided to change some of our habits .For example , I m reading more successful book when I can because sometimes I don’t have time to do it because I have to look for jobs or food or money to pay my rent . I changed my friends and I spend more time with successful people . I will say that those ” rich habits” only will be possible completely when my actual situation will completely change but I am on track.

Good for you! Keep trying to improve yourself and your situation and in time you will be richer and happier! As the Norwegians say, “The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm.”

You are definitely one of the lucky ones; but I disagree with some of your comments. I grew up in a single parent home and am a single parent now. It is definitely more difficult to get things done when you are worrying about paying a bill, but it does not mean it is an excuse for not improving myself.

We are all dealt a different hand in life. What we do with what we do have is what is important. I can’t help but admit, I would love to consider myself wealthy; and able to have a housekeeper and excellent health benefits – but I do well with what I have.

I think that is what the article was saying more than being shallow. I think it was saying, these were observations and that if someone wanted to start making changes (if wealth is their ultimate goal) these are some ideas to get started with.

As a woman who is almost 50, I believe there are 3 things that can most powerfully make or break a woman’s life: the timing and amount of children she has and what man (or men) she allows into her life and home.

The women I have known since my teens and 20s who are still struggling 25 years later all had multiple children early and did not have them as a part of stable relationships. Without access to lots of loans to go to school, free or cheap daycare or someone around to watch the kids while you go to school, and the willingness to work waaaaay harder that they would have to without kids, most of these ladies are literally no further along financially than they were in the late 1980s and work in dead-end retail jobs.

The women I know who are successful (not necessarily rich, but as they might say, “comfortable”) had children later and were married before they had kids and waited to have them. They did not necessarily go to college, but they had entry-level white collar office jobs or clerical jobs in the beginning and worked their way to higher positions. Some of these women are not married anymore, but when the marriage did end there was child support and alimony.

I have known my friends for a long time and it’s pretty easy to see at this point where certain decisions have led — Kids at 18 and unmarried or at 28 and married? Hooking up with guys who have mental illness/alcoholism/drug abuse/prison records or…well, not getting with guys have those things.

And intelligence didn’t seem to have much to do with it. I have seen some very smart ladies make very very very very very stupid decisions about men and then years later they have no job, they’re living with their 3 kids in a 1-bedroom apartment, and the man is either in jail or out drinking.

I know these aren’t “habits” but they are behaviors that make a big difference in the short and long term.

I am totally agree with you. Our choices and behaviors can have a tremendous impact in our present life.. I do believe if we can start changing a little thing every day ,week or month , will be amaze of the compound effect . Sometimes we use time as an excuse time but we know if something has a great value for us we can make time ….. How many years we are going to blame others or circomtances for our own failure ….. Everybody can change their life our their circomtances …it is a decision.

This rich vs Poor argument has been going on for thousands of years. I enjoyed this article because it highlighted some interesting things. however the study leaves much open. I believe that sometimes we are born in a good environment and that gives us a heads start, but not always. like a previous commentor said. it’s about how you use what you have. one thing I would like to mention though is, we as people need to learn to take responsibility for our actions and many people would rather blame the situation. I worked an 11 Hour a day for 5 days a week then about 8+ Hours on the sunday a week because I wanted to be able to enjoy life. So I created a plan of what I would be willing to give up. Personally I don’t believe we should compare ourselves as rich or poor, we seek wealth because we want to be happy, we want a satisfying life, so my answer to people is to try to make a sustainable lifestyle that is taylored to us not what this or that person is doing, we do not need money to be happy. I am neather rich nor poor, but I am happy and to me, being happy makes me feel rich. I gave up my time and worked hard in a job I hated so I could finally relax and enjoy life. Notice the habits of the rich? they are habits that enrich us as individuals, taking time to say happy birthday, making the kids read, etc… not all people will be able to do these things, however, any human enriching activity will help. I am open to correction though. Thanks.

Thank you Jean for your honesty!
This is very true coming from someone who acutely grew up poor. You put everything in perfect perspective, yet the sad truth if I was to say that same thing. I would just be the statistic of making excuses because my “mindset”. There’s a bowl with free candies a hidden camera is on it those with higher income take more then the blue collar that’s a mindset.

I appreciate the importance of a positive attitude in life for success but several of the categories are vicious circles. This is the cycle of poverty that many experience.

Having said this by no means am I suggesting that people with great talent, skills or intelligence should not be rich only that even if the person is less intelligent or even below average in intelligence but possess a strong work ethic, they should still be able to provide for their family.

Lets break it down.

1. 70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk food calories per day. 97% of poor people eat more than 300 junk food calories per day. (This is because junk food is cheap)

23% of wealthy gamble. 52% of poor people gamble. (Ok)

2. 80% of wealthy are focused on accomplishing some single goal. Only 12% of the poor do this. (true, they may be working 2 jobs for example and not fully focused on either job because neither is full time)

3. 76% of wealthy exercise aerobically 4 days a week. 23% of poor do this. (Gym memberships cost money and when you work 2 jobs at low pay for 60hours a week you are too tired to exercise more)

4. 63% of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5% for poor people.(You can afford to by books? And you can afford to buy audio books?)

5. 81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list vs. 19% for poor. (Fair point – a lack of life goals and daily goals is very often the hall mark of the poor – fair point)

6. 63% of wealthy parents make their children read 2 or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3% for poor. (Yes – the poor or there children are not as smart as you and your point is? Is it screw them? They are born dumb and so are there children, screw them as well as people who are physically disabled – what are you saying here?

7. 70% of wealthy parents make their children volunteer 10 hours or more a month vs. 3% for poor. (Did I mention the two jobs and 60 hour work weeks?)

8. 80% of wealthy make happy birthday calls vs. 11% of poor (The poor don’t make happy birthday calls because they are not happy they were born)

9. 67% of wealthy write down their goals vs. 17% for poor (Does writing down goals like paying the bills, having enough food to eat and paying rent need to be written down, they think of it daily)

10. 88% of wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day for education or career reasons vs 2% for poor. (Yes once again good for you, you are smart and the poor are retarded – what is your point? Are they sub-human? Should we put them all in a zoo in the primate division and charge the rich to look at them?)

12. 79% of wealthy network 5 hours or more each month vs. 16% for poor. (The poor often withdraw the older they get because they are ashamed of their social stature or lack of it)

13. 67% of wealthy watch 1 hour or less of TV. every day vs. 23% for poor (Yep TV is pretty cheap entertainment)

14. 6% of wealthy watch reality TV vs. 78% for poor. (Reality T.V. has a mass appeal to the poor because some of the shows often illustrate (artificially of course) people’s whose lives are worse then theirs.)

15. 44% of wealthy wake up 3 hours before work starts vs.3% for poor. (Did I mention the two jobs?)

16. 74% of wealthy teach good daily success habits to their children vs. 1% for poor. (Yep the rich are smarter and so are their kids)

17. 84% of wealthy believe good habits create opportunity luck vs. 4% for poor. (Ok and one of the best habits you can have is being born into a rich family)

18. 76% of wealthy believe bad habits create detrimental luck vs. 9% for poor. (OK and one of the worst habits you can have is to be born into a poor family)

19. 86% of wealthy believe in life-long educational self-improvement vs. 5% for poor. (After 30 years of trying to work hard and do what you are told learning the ins and out of fast food, Wal-Mart and so forth at a certain point you just give up on the learning part of it because your realize that yes you are stupid and therefore don’t deserve anything in life…

20. 86% of wealthy love to read vs. 26% for p (Yep once again if you are below average in intelligence and work really hard picking up rich people’s garbage, cutting their grass, washing their clothes, making their food in a restaurant, cleaning their dishes, washing their car etc you don’t even deserve a living minimum wage.

Nope you are a stupid wage slave…

Not saying rich people do not deserve to be rich. All I am saying is that even stupid people who are below average in intelligence deserve a minimum wage that allows them to live in a small trailer in Alabama and earn enough to pay for their food, rent and bills.

Even a stupid Coal Miner’s Daughter deserves a min wage that allows them to pay for health care, gas, food, shelter and utilities…

Your post is full of anger, depression and low self-esteem. It’s true – these feelings undermine a lot of behavior of poor people. But they don’t have to. Plus, you do have holes in your logic, which I will point out:

1. 70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk1. 70% of wealthy eat less than 300 junk food calories per day. 97% of poor people eat more than 300 junk food calories per day.
Yes- junk food is cheaper and easier to obtain. Eating healthy on a budget is tough – it requires planning, knowing how to cook, where to purchase cheap but healthy vegetables and fruits, and possibly trips to a local food shelter which is demeaning. Plus, healthy food doesn’t give one a sugar high, which makes one feel good for a few seconds. Junk food is addictive because of its sugar content and reinforces negative behavior. It takes strength and self-discipline to realize that and change one’s food habits. However, soda and sugary juices are still more expensive than water. Healthy grains and legumes are cheaper than Mickey D’s. Eating healthy is a choice – that takes some really strong personal discipline and effort. But not an impossible one.

2) 23% of wealthy gamble. 52% of poor people gamble.
Gambling is addictive and escapist behavior. This is more indicative of poor people’s depression and need for escape. However, once again, it takes a strong and self-disciplined person to stop oneself from destructive behavior.

2. 80% of wealthy are focused on accomplishing some single goal. Only 12% of the poor do this.

Even in a poor paying job, setting goals increases productivity and efficiency. Once you excel at your poor paying job by doing better than others, you are likely to be promoted, recognized and moved into positions of higher responsibility and better pay. Setting goals and making lists does not take much time, but the benefits and self-awareness gained are enormous. We should teach this in school.

3. 76% of wealthy exercise aerobically 4 days a week. 23% of poor do this.

– it is a fallacy that you need a gym membership to exercise. However, I agree that many poor people already work at occupations that require hard physical labor (standing all day, carrying heavy loads, construction, walking to work, etc.), so yes this statistic is not a true reflection of how much exercise poor people actually get.

4. 63% of wealthy listen to audio books during commute to work vs. 5% for poor people.

All books published before 1923 are in the public domain. There are a ton of recorded FREE audio books (many of which can be downloaded on free smartphone apps). And access to smartphones and Media to play these books has been reaching parity in both poor and rich populations. Again, it takes self-discipline to seek out these books, to play them during one’s bus or subway commute, but definitely not impossible and not the domain of the rich.

5. 81% of wealthy maintain a to-do list vs. 19% for poor.

See #2 above.

6. 63% of wealthy parents make their children read 2 or more non-fiction books a month vs. 3% for poor.

Hmm, I won’t go into questioning why you chose to have to children if you’re poor, but if you did make that choice, those children are your responsibility, regardless of whether you have time for them or not. If you don’t have time to raise your kids, educate them, feed them, give them up for adoption. (See Jennifer’s comment on this above). And if you choose to keep them, following good habits yourself (like healthy eating, setting goals, and reading) will only set them up for success and make them see you as a role model. And that you actually care for them and love them. If you have children, following these habits is doubly important because they affect not only your life but the life of your children.

7. 70% of wealthy parents make their children volunteer 10 hours or more a month vs. 3% for poor.

Agree with argument that poor children can help out around their house instead of volunteering. But in either case, one should teach one’s children work ethics and compassion.

8. 80% of wealthy make happy birthday calls vs. 11% of poor

The point is – making a birthday call (vs text) strengthens relationships and connections. People who receive more social support and are more active in community are more resilient to stress, are depressed less, and are generally happier. Building relationships with others can greatly enhance your well-being, and help you find resources in the community to make life easier. Isolating oneself only decreases well-being and leads to negative behaviors like addiction, violence, gambling, and eating fast food. Reaching out to others is a powerful protector against stress and depression. You don’t need a Ph.D to recognize that.

9. 67% of wealthy write down their goals vs. 17% for poor

Same as #2 and #5. By the way, changing one’s habits can also be a goal.

10. 88% of wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day for education or career reasons vs 2% for poor.

The key word here is education – poor people fail to learn about ways they can improve their circumstances. It’s time to stop blaming society for not educating you properly and take self-education into your own hands. Read cooking books, exercise techniques, how to encourage self-esteem in children, how to make better financial decisions, how to form a budget and stick to it, where to get financial help, how to manage your time better. Reading is not a pre-requisite – one can learn much from talking to others too, but reading is the fastest method of knowledge transfer known to man.

11. 6% of wealthy say what’s on their mind vs. 69% for poor.

Some have asked why – that’s because wealthy people are more concerned with their own internal world, goals, and families. And they value their time and emotions. Stating one’s opinion openly had many problems: 1) it can hurt other people, 2) it takes a lot of time to state an opinion without hurting others, 3) it can expose oneself and one’s weaknesses. 4) it can draw a lot of criticism and anger from others, which can cause emotional pain, or take time to defend oneself – it’s energy and time poorly spent. Another reason is that wealthy people, despite all the knowledge they possess and cultivate, still don’t believe they know best. They are humble and prefer to listen and learn, rather than express their own thoughts. It’s about being humble, and seeking to avoid argument and negativity.

12. 79% of wealthy network 5 hours or more each month vs. 16% for poor.

I really need to understand what “networking” meant in this study, but agree that networking is much harder in poorer conditions. Still, joining a church or local community is a great way to network and increase well-being – see #8. Calling to say happy birthday (or happy holidays) is a form of networking.

13. 67% of wealthy watch 1 hour or less of TV. every day vs. 23% for poor

Ok, TV is NOT cheaper than books. Library memberships are free. Cable subscription is not. The cost of a television is higher than that of a smartphone. And the amount of knowledge gained per 30 minutes reading is approximately 5 times that of an educational TV program. It takes about 15 minutes to read the script of a history channel or discovery channel show that takes an hour to watch. It takes about a minute to read a news article that is covered in a 5 minute video. Reading is a more efficient method of communication. As for entertainment value – spending time networking, meeting friends, exercising, or playing with one’s children is much better entertainment than watching reality shows or cartoons. Wealthy people know these facts and therefore spend their time on more productive entertainment. Plus, there is so much negativity in news and TV – constant news of murder and crime contributes to feelings of unsafety and the perception that crime happens a lot more frequently than it actually does. Agreed, in poor neighborhoods it occurs more frequently, but reminding yourself about it daily will not improve your well-being or happiness. The emotional and time cost of television makes it essentially more counterproductive than restful.

14. 6% of wealthy watch reality TV vs. 78% for poor.

See #13 and #2 above. Escapist behavior will not help one beat one’s circumstance or be happier in life. Envy only breeds more envy. Negativity and wishing bad upon others will not make your own life better. Plus, reality TV is fake – real people don’t even act that way. It’s just as fake as any other TV show out there.

15. 44% of wealthy wake up 3 hours before work starts vs.3% for poor.

Not really show how the study got to this statistic. Being poor takes a toll on one’s health, and sleep is important for maintaining one’s immune system. Also, depression causes fatigue and problems waking up. I would say this needs way more explication before actually having any meaning.

16. 74% of wealthy teach good daily success habits to their children vs. 1% for poor.

See #6 about children. Just because you don’t have time for your children doesn’t relinquish you of the responsibility not to raise them.

You are what you believe. If you believe you’re powerless to change your circumstances, then you will never beat them. If you are depressed, you should seek professional medical help. Ignoring the truth doesn’t make it any less true.

How we attribute success and failure (to internal or external factors) can change our mental state. And there’s inherent attribution bias – people tend to attribute success to one’s own efforts and failure to external circumstances. The truth is in the middle, but for healthy self-esteem and well-being, It’s much better to believe that change is possible with hard work, rather than resign that life is unfair and that I don’t deserve a better life. It’s important to distinguish attributions of one’s intelligence vs attributions to one’s work ethic. Believing that you’re too stupid to succeed (and that your stupidity is genetic) is detrimental. Believing that you just need to learn more, study more, and work harder (and you are not limited by your mental abilities) is productive. It all starts there. And yes, depression is a serious health issue – it’s a physical illness that makes one demotivated and self-hating. Reach out to others to fight depression. Call a depression hotline today. And read a book/article/magazine on psychology to understand these concepts better.

That’s because they understand that knowledge is power, and that is precisely how they obtain control in their lives, success at work, and eventually, power over others. Think of yourself not as genetically stupid, but too lazy to learn. Laziness is something that can be totally changed – with willpower and self-discipline. If you find time to learn, eventually, you Will become smarter.

20. 86% of wealthy love to read vs. 26% for poor.

See #13 and #10 above. Once you realize the benefits of reading, and realize that you time in life is limited (especially when you work two jobs and take care of kids), you will realize that reading is a much more efficient and effective way of resting, and learning. Set a goal – Replace 30 min of TV with 30 minutes of reading. You’ll be surprised.
(One caveat – poor people are generally slower readers and a lot more of them don’t even know how to read. The good news is – the more you read the better you get at it. And audio books are quite easy to follow. You just have to be patient and persistent. )

So John, in conclusion, these statistics indicate that poor people lack some key personal characteristics – self-discipline, persistence, patience, delaying gratification, foresight, education, self-understanding, and compassion. Last time I checked – these character traits are free. I’m not saying it’s easy being poor. I’m just saying it’s not impossible to change oneself and one’s life. Plus, even if these habits don’t bring one wealth, they will certainly help one live a happier life, raise healthier and smarter children, decrease depression and improve self-esteem. And that’s a goal in itself that is much more important than money.

I apologize for typos in my response above, and also for using a generic “you” – I didn’t mean to state these as an attack on you personally.

I agree with your assertion that many of bad habits of poor people are vicious cycles that only contribute to those people staying poor and uneducated and depressed. However, i believe that’s what makes this study so powerful. Habits can be cultivated and changed. We aren’t born with bad habits. We develop them throughout life and they are not genetically predermined.

Yes, vicious cycles are hard to break out of, but it’s not just about intelligence and poor education. Poor people fail to succeed due to lack of willpower, and self-control. And especially due to lack of ability to delay gratification. If only our schools and communities cultivated these values (and set them as examples to children in poor communities), more people could rise above their circumstances and poor start in life.

Thank you for this, I feel you did a very good job of standing up for the poor. I’m sorry but was your whole article just some stuck up way to prove that rich people are better than poor people? Because that’s what it seems like. What if I’m poor now as a child but I become rich in later life? Does that mean I can fucking graduate to be a “worthy citizen” ? I think that you need to remember that people are poor for many different reasons not just because they have a bad attitude to life.

I was born on the other side of the fence. Poverty, deprivation, coupled with parents and both sides of the family being absolutely and medically looney.

I left home at 14, got a job, got myself educated, bought my first house at 25, blah blah blah.

Was I lucky or was it pure hard work and determination of a little girl crying herself to sleep every night but believeing that I deserve better.

A lot of people said, you think you’re something special or you did something special ? You’re just lucky.

So here’s a bullet into the lucky argument. At 36, I am now half blind and rapidly going down from an undiagnosed, systematic illness. Am I lucky ? Well I got to travel the world while hunting for a doctor who could treat me. Because despite what happened, I still have the mindset that I deserve the best in life and I will go for it.

Im amazed how so many of the people on here talk about the poor as though they know for a fact that every single poor person is one way or another. When in reality they have no clue. These are judgements, stereotypes and assumptions. I’m horrified by how entitled people feel to speak on issues and situations they most likely have never experienced in their lives. For example, saying that someone shouldn’t have chosen to have had children if they poor. Well, the next time you get married and have four children together then your spouse dies from a drunk driver crashing into their car on the way home from work and left with left a funeral expenses, a mortgage, bills, children to feed and no job (because you didn’t have to work since your spouse did well enough for the family) no siblings, parents passed away and the only way you can get by so your children are taken care of is to work a full time job, a part time job on the weekend and night classes at the university to make ends meet and pay for childcare…then you can judge a poor person for not having the time or energy to force their fifth grader to read books on top of what they are already required to do so for school.

Most of you sound like a bunch of pretentious assholes that were most likely born into money and never had to go with out or know what its actually like to start from the ground up. That’s like riding an escalator while telling people how to climb a ladder correctly. To bad daddies money can’t buy you another perspective so that you can actually take into account all the factors your leaving out. But keep passing judgment on people you don’t know from your pedestal of privilege… Between your cardio and audiobooks of course because you don’t want to become some poor loser who just busts their ass all day to keep their family off the streets, so that pricks like you can tell them that they are lazy and lack ambition. You people disgust me.

Is your post basically some stuck up way to prove that rich people are better than poor people? You know what, this post should be an embarrassment to all those lovely down to earth rich people out there. Honestly if you rich people are as good as you make out you wouldn’t be writing articles like this! Poor people are poor for many different reasons not always because they have bad attitudes. What about the poor children who are born into less well off families? Are you seriously saying they are set to fail before they even have a chance to prove themselves? I come from a relatively poor family and I have always attended state education. Two years ago I gained 9a* and 2a’s in my English GCSE’s putting me top in my school beating a whole load of rich people. I live in Devon you see right next to a very posh village, from whom many of the children attend my school. On Thursday I received my A level results gaining A* in History A* in Biology A in Chemistry and an A in Politics. This again put me top in my school. Next year I am going to study medicine at Bristol University. Hopefully I will become a doctor and be well paid. Maybe then I can fucking graduate to being a “worthy Citizen” to up your arses people like you. Because you know what ” when people fail the worst ones are the people who have never failed anything before. And the worst people to claim benefits are the ones who have never ever had to worry about money before. The bad things in life make you stronger”

All I can say to you Joseph Michael is you show what you really think of poor folk when you come out in gleeful agreement with another privileged asshole like Chris Bowman, and I quote

Chris Bowman ” This article should be titled Achieving vs Receiving …differences between the wealthy and the poor”

…to which you reply ,” I like that (smiley face) I wish I had thought of it” Thanks for reading Chris.

Well ya know what go fuck yourselves I am poor and what do I receive? NOTHING I work for every cent so dont fucking come on here and tell me I am receiving anything, it’s the likes of you entitled pricks that keep ordinary working class people down and it’s no co-incidence that you fuckers are getting richer every day whilst the ordinary workers are getting screwed every way imaginable ,the advent of the zero hour contract being a new way to push your agenda even more.

Joseph Michael,
Hi, I find it funny that some people can read your article and be inspired and some can take offence thinking that you are bashing the poor. I found that I was doing some of the things the poor are doing (well I am going to change that). I am tired of being poor and I do see that my habits have been holding me back. The junk food that I eat has made me 50 pounds over weight and now I do not perform at work as well as the healthy people. Should I get angry at them? I should get angry at me for allowing myself to get this way. While I giggle my way through You-tube every night others are learning how to write code, treat illness,repair machines and many other marketable skills. Thank you for your nonjudgmental article.

Great information there Joseph. Everything here is about the mindset, which can be very difficult to change. People criticizing this article has negative mindset. Please note that you can’t attract what you attack. It is not about running down the poor, it is about cultivating the habits that bring riches.Thank you.

Interesting study Joseph. It’s unfortunate that some think it’s an attack on the poor. Perhaps the wording is slightly slanted, but it’s the numbers that can not be argued.

My solution for those that are feeling upset by this or stuck in life, is to invest in personal development. Seriously; 5 years ago, I would have stuck my nose up at this nonsense idea…but let me tell you, I’m a changed man since I decided to become a student of my own growth. A few of my favorites are Jim Rohn, Darren Hardy, John C. Maxwell, Les Brown, Eric Thomas, Brendan Buchard… you can find tons of their stuff on youtube for free. BUT, here’s the rub…you have to become a student of it. Don’t just read or listen… ABSORB IT!! Take notes, become all about improving your self and you will change your life and your circumstances.

The difference between wealthy and poor is who does the job. Poor people do read alot thank you, they also cook, clean, sew, tend to their children, drive themselves, do their own grocery shopping, and live paycheck to paycheck. Rich people hire cooks, buy their expensive clothing, hire someone to clean for them, hire someone to maintain their cars, and even pay someone to tend to their kids. I dont know where these surveys come from but i believe the happiest families come from not rich or poor but from homes full of love, discipline, and integrity not to mention respect. The human population has doomed themselves. GREED RULES ALL! Money can buy many things in this life but it will never buy you anything once you pass on.

This is an excellent article about the differences between poor and rich people. A poor person can become rich (or at least middle class), it’s just a lot harder. Looking at the comments, I see many people trying to poke holes in this list but I can tell you all of it (as well as the conclusions that can be drawn from it) are 100% true. Poor people are less motivated, less organized, and less disciplined than rich people. I know because I grew up relatively poor. Not in bone-crushing poverty, but poor. At 16, I didn’t really like the way my life was going. I didn’t really believe in myself. I was a good enough student to apply to Ivy League schools, but not to get in to one. So I started reading. What makes people successful? Why? I read almost every book on the subject. I didn’t suddenly turn my life around. I think that’s the problem with many people who want to be successful. They read a book and start expecting results immediately. One of the defining characteristics of a successful person is the ability to work hard for a distant reward. My junior year I did better. I wasn’t happy with better. My senior year I stopped studying hard and started studying smart. I started trying to understand the topic instead of trying to do well on tests. I took 5 AP tests my senior year, got 5s on all of them, and got straight As. I self-studied 3 of them because my school didn’t offer many APs. I went to a great college and currently am doing quite well financially, physically, and mentally.

This post got a lot longer than I originally intended but I am a firm and enthusiastic believer that anyone can become successful. The problem with being poor is we start out with a disadvantage. It’s just harder for us to achieve success. But the one thing you can absolutely not do is start justifying failure. The minute someone starts justifying their own failure is the minute they condemn themselves to an unhappy life. To be successful, one has to believe in themselves. It sounds cheesy I know, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Believe that you’re just as smart as Bill Gates (or at least can be with hard work). Once that belief starts paying dividends, you get more confident, more motivated, and more ambitious. It’s a positive feedback loop.

This is just my story but if I can help even one person I think it will be all worth it. Thank you for reading this long comment I hope you gained something from it.

I don’t know about other countries but I live in India and I have met many rich people in my life. None of them were athletic, studious or talented. All they used to do was waste time on their smartphones and say silly things. Knowing that they can inherit their parent’s assets and businesses they just don’t feel the need to do anything.

The most important things that rich people do in terms of actual wealth accumulation are not even mentioned in this article. That is, a person could consistently do all the things enumerated in the article his entire life and not ever accumulate wealth.

A person needs to save (pay yourself first or second, if he is a Christian) – and then reduce expenses to live off the rest. Poor people do not do this. They lack the discipline – as demonstrated in the points in the article – for becoming wealthy because they neglect to save and reduce expenses.

Wealthy people make it a goal to accumulate wealth, and have the discipline to accomplish this goal, bit by bit over the years. Those who try to become wealthy quickly always fail because the skills needed to handle large amounts of money are not innate and must be developed slowly over time.

[…] The book The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy, which “details more than two decades worth of surveys and personal interviews with millionaires, reveals that much of the wealth in America is more often the result of hard work, diligent savings, and living below your means.” (Source) […]

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